Isaiah 1:1–31

¹The vision of Isaiah the son of A′moz that he visioned concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uz‧zi′ah, Jo′tham, A′haz [and] Hez‧e‧ki′ah, kings of Judah:

²Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for Jehovah himself has spoken: “Sons I have brought up and raised, but they themselves have revolted against me.³A bull well knows its buyer, and the ass the manger of its owner; Israel itself has not known, my own people have not behaved understandingly.”

⁴Woe to the sinful nation, the people heavy with error, an evildoing seed, ruinous sons! They have left Jehovah, they have treated the Holy One of Israel with disrespect, they have turned backwards.⁵Where else will ​YOU​ be struck still more, in that ​YOU​ add more revolt? The whole head is in a sick condition, and the whole heart is feeble.⁶From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no sound spot in it. Wounds and bruises and fresh stripes—they have not been squeezed out or bound up, nor has there been a softening with oil.⁷YOUR​ land is a desolation, ​YOUR​ cities are burned with fire; ​YOUR​ ground—right in front of ​YOU​ strangers are eating it up, and the desolation is like an overthrow by strangers.⁸And the daughter of Zion has been left remaining like a booth in a vineyard, like a lookout hut in a field of cucumbers, like a blockaded city.⁹Unless Jehovah of armies himself had left remaining to us just a few survivors, we should have become just like Sod′om, we should have resembled Go‧mor′rah itself.

¹⁰Hear the word of Jehovah, ​YOU​ dictators of Sod′om. Give ear to the law of our God, ​YOU​ people of Go‧mor′rah.¹¹“Of what benefit to me is the multitude of ​YOUR​ sacrifices?” says Jehovah. “I have had enough of whole burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well‐fed animals; and in the blood of young bulls and male lambs and he‐goats I have taken no delight.¹²When ​YOU​ people keep coming in to see my face, who is it that has required this from ​YOUR​ hand, to trample my courtyards?¹³Stop bringing in any more valueless grain offerings. Incense—it is something detestable to me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of a convention—I cannot put up with the [use of] uncanny power along with the solemn assembly.¹⁴YOUR​ new moons and ​YOUR​ festal seasons my soul has hated. To me they have become a burden; I have become tired of bearing [them].¹⁵And when ​YOU​ spread out ​YOUR​ palms, I hide my eyes from ​YOU. Even though ​YOU​ make many prayers, I am not listening; with bloodshed ​YOUR​ very hands have become filled.¹⁶Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the badness of ​YOUR​ dealings from in front of my eyes; cease to do bad.¹⁷Learn to do good; search for justice; set right the oppressor; render judgment for the fatherless boy; plead the cause of the widow.”

¹⁸“Come, now, ​YOU​ people, and let us set matters straight between us,” says Jehovah. “Though the sins of ​YOU​ people should prove to be as scarlet, they will be made white just like snow; though they should be red like crimson cloth, they will become even like wool.¹⁹If ​YOU​ people show willingness and do listen, the good of the land ​YOU​ will eat.²⁰But if ​YOU​ people refuse and are actually rebellious, with a sword ​YOU​ will be eaten up; for the very mouth of Jehovah has spoken [it].”

²¹O how the faithful town has become a prostitute! She was full of justice; righteousness itself used to lodge in her, but now murderers.²²Your silver itself has become scummy dross. Your wheat beer is diluted with water.²³Your princes are stubborn and partners with thieves. Every one of them is a lover of a bribe and a chaser after gifts. For a fatherless boy they do not render judgment; and even the legal case of a widow does not get admittance to them.

²⁴Therefore the utterance of the [true] Lord, Jehovah of armies, the Powerful One of Israel, is: “Aha! I shall relieve myself of my adversaries, and I will avenge myself on my enemies.²⁵And I will turn back my hand upon you, and I shall smelt away your scummy dross as with lye, and I will remove all your waste products.²⁶And I will bring back again judges for you as at the first, and counselors for you as at the start. After this you will be called City of Righteousness, Faithful Town.²⁷With justice Zion herself will be redeemed, and those returning of her, with righteousness.²⁸And the crash of revolters and that of sinful ones will be at the same time, and those leaving Jehovah will come to their finish.²⁹For they will be ashamed of the mighty trees that ​YOU​ people desired, and ​YOU​ will be abashed because of the gardens that ​YOU​ have chosen.³⁰For ​YOU​ will become like a big tree the foliage of which is withering, and like a garden that has no water.³¹And the vigorous man will certainly become tow, and the product of his activity a spark; and both of them will certainly go up in flames at the same time, with no one to do the extinguishing.”